January 29, 2016 “Why She Cries” (*1/2 out of four) was a dismal Redbox melodrama that’s awkward and silly enough to make anyone cry who wastes their 90 minutes on this drivel. Two sisters (Amanda Garrett and Daria Lester) are trying to repair their relationship but one of them has been keeping a mysterious secret from the other; elsewhere a wealthy girl (Whitney Hicks) is battling a serious illness that causes her philandering husband (James Black) to leave her. You’ll want to leave all of them if and when you make it to the end of this. Plays like a stale R-rated soap opera. Continue reading →
January 28, 2016 “Breakdown” (** out of four) was a schizophrenic Redbox action thriller that shifts gears multiple times between a violent underworld thriller and a somber relationship drama between a father and his daughter. A professional contract killer (Craig Fairbrass) is haunted by hallucinations regarding the many people he has killed over his career; when this naturally affects his work and his employers, he is forced to defend his family and protect his young daughter. Fairbrass is really strong and there are some powerful moments but the movie itself breaks down in tedium and its muddled plot. Striking and eerie music score by Phil Mountford. Continue reading →
January 27, 2016 “Unbreak My Heart” (**1/2 out of four) was a hit-and-miss biography of R & B singer Toni Braxton (Lex Scott Davis) who became a worldwide phenomenon in the ’90’s but saw her career encapsulated by financial and health problems before she returned to her family roots and made a comeback. Early scenes showing her upbringing seem artificial and staged but movie succeeds best in its second half showing her health issues and financial decline. Davis looks more like Beyonce or Ciara than Toni Braxton but her sincere performance keeps this afloat and makes this worth watching. The real Toni Braxton makes a cameo in the final scene. Continue reading →
January 27, 2016January 27, 2016 “Ride Along 2” (** out of four) was a tired sequel to the 2014 smash but is more-or-less a mash-up of “Lethal Weapon”, “48 Hours”, and especially “Rush Hour.” This time around, mismatched police partners (Ice Cube and Kevin Hart) travel down to Miami to pursue an international drug kingpin (Benjamin Bratt) and his moron accomplice (Ken Jeong who should have stayed in “The Hangover” series). Fast-paced comedy gets all the mileage it can from Cube and Hart’s chemistry but is really thin stuff. They should have a better scriptwriter ride along with them for their next round. Continue reading →
January 25, 2016 “Exposed” (** out of four) was a muddled Redbox thriller starring Keanu Reeves as a police detective obsessed with finding the truth behind his partner’s suspicious death which uncovers police corruption and a secretive underworld involving a young woman (Ana De Armas). Lumpy mix of police thriller, underworld melodrama, and romance has its moments but doesn’t gel and come together to a satisfying whole. At 51 years old, though, Keanu Reeves looks almost exactly the same as he did in his “Speed” days. Continue reading →
January 25, 2016 “The Fifth Wave” (** out of four) was a lackluster disaster thriller starring Chloe Grace Moretz as a young girl trying to save her younger brother after they are separated in the midst of four waves of deadly alien attacks which leave the Earth decimated and in a state of impending chaos. Some impressive special effects in the beginning and Moretz’ empathic performance do their best to keep this on track but movie is too uneven and slow at times. It might be time to retire disaster movies for a while because virtually all of them we’ve seen before. Continue reading →
January 21, 2016 “Macbeth” (*** out of four) was a striking adaptation of Shakespeare’s tragedy molded into the style of “Braveheart” starring Michael Fassbender in the title role, Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth, and David Thewlis as King Duncan. Thirteenth adaptation of this drama earns its retelling with fiery performances from Fassbender who is spectacular in the title role and Cotillard as his conniving and greedy wife and also beautiful cinematography; story is unavoidably talky and slow at times but it’s very well-realized by director Justin Kurzel and definitely worthwhile for English literature fans. Continue reading →
January 18, 2016 “The Death Of Superman Lives” (**1/2 out of four) was an interesting documentary about the doomed 1998 Tim Burton/Nicholas Cage “Superman” project in which Burton was going to direct and Cage was going to take over the role of The Man Of Steel but budgetary concerns and assorted studio agendas derailed the project. I guess we’ll never know the director of “Batman” and how his vision for “Superman” would have turned out. For fans and hard-core comic nerds only but still a well-assembled collection of interviews and behind-the-scenes information on what could have been- and should have been- a spectacular movie. Continue reading →
January 16, 2016 “The Program” (*** out of four) was a sweeping biography of Lance Armstrong who won seven Tour De France awards and became a sports icon but then later saw his career ruined in controversy by an Irish sports journalist (Chris O’Dowd) who exposed his involvement in blood doping. Not a great film but very well-told by director Stephen Frears and an interesting portrait of a man who was driven by determination and ambition to do whatever it took to become a champion even if it meant cheating. Foster is strong and looks identical to Armstrong in some scenes. Continue reading →
January 16, 2016 “The Abandoned” (*1/2 out of four) was a routine and boring horror thriller set in an old decaying apartment complex in which a security guard (Louisa Krause) works the graveyard shift but gradually discovers (gulp) sinister and supernatural forces within the building. Are they real or is she crazy? I’m falling asleep writing this. Horror fans should abandon this drivel and watch “Poltergeist” or “The Shining” again instead. Continue reading →
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